The invention relates to devices and method for cooking food, and more particularly to a device and method for infusing food with flavor and moisture, and also cooking food more evenly and quickly.
In the past, attempts have been made to harness the benefits of thermodynamic physics by developing and using flavor sticks. These flavor sticks are self-contained units that are inserted into the food being cooked allowing the subsequent internal pressure build up caused by heating to push out the flavors that were preloaded in the flavor stick. This type of system has numerous drawbacks and limitations. For example, by their design, each stick (when more than one is used) would have to be placed in different strategic positions in order to deliver a diverse demographical flavor footprint. This can result in each stick being exposed to different temperatures, with each stick thusly producing a different level of penetration since the internal pressure, which is a function of temperature, would be different at each point. Furthermore, since each stick is loaded individually with flavorings, there is no assurance that the concentration of ingredients would remain uniform in all the sticks. Also, since each stick can be exposed to different temperatures based on logistical positioning within the cooking medium, the concentration of flavor in the resulting vapor being infused can vary from point to point, resulting in a product with unpredictable and uneven taste. In addition, utilizing a single stick can create other logistical problems. For example, if the user places the flavor stick on the top of the item being cooked, the user would be restricted from using, at least easily, any type of liquid marinade (such as soy sauce) as gravity would cause the fluid to flow downwardly through the openings (since the pin portion would be facing down) before there was an opportunity to heat the marinade to an appropriate temperature, and as a result there would be less infusion of the flavoring and/or moisture into the item being cooked. There are likewise obvious issues dealing with the necessity of being able to turn over the item being cooked with the flavor stick and reservoir still attached. Finally, there are logistical limitations in that space and weight considerations would limit the amount of flavor, etc. that could be stored without having to be concerned with the stick toppling over or taking up too much space on the grill.
There remains a need for a cooking system and method to produce a better flavored, moister and more evenly cooked food.